ACG-NBA jump programme to provide pathway to NBA

Mumbai: The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the ACG Worldwide Group (ACG) today announced the launch of ACG-NBA Jump, India’s first national basketball talent search program. As part of the NBA and ACG’s commitment to grow basketball in India, the first-of-its-kind program will provide basketball players from around the country the opportunity to develop their skills. One top player from the ACG-NBA Jump program will receive the opportunity to attend the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) National Tryout in the United States. Satnam Singh, the first Indian-born player to be drafted into the NBA, will tip off the program at the Thyagraj Sports Complex in Delhi on Oct. 26.

“We strongly believe in the potential of India’s youth and believe in empowering them through sport,” said ACG Director Karan Singh. “ACG-NBA Jump is an equal opportunity program for many who are talented but may not have the access. This program is part of ACG Cares Foundation, and we are sure that with more programs like this, India’s basketball teams will have a richer talent pool to choose from. With the help of such programs, we are confident that India’s performance on international platforms such as the Olympics and Asian Games will improve. This initiative will also facilitate penetration of an active sport like basketball in far-flung regions of India and encourage the youth to take up basketball as a serious sporting option.”

“ACG-NBA Jump is the next step in our continued commitment to grow the game of basketball in India,” said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco. “With Sim Bhullar becoming the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA and Satnam Singh becoming the first Indian-born player to be drafted into the NBA, basketball playing youth in India now have relatable figures to look up to, and this program will give them the opportunity of a direct path to the professional ranks.”

ACG-NBA Jump will be broken up into three phases. In the first phase, six regional, one-day elite camps will be held in six cities: Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The second phase will consist of a national elite training camp where 32 players selected from the six regional camps will assemble for a four-day training period. In the third and final phase, one top player from the national elite training camp will be selected to attend the NBA D-League National Tryout in the United States for the opportunity to earn a spot on an NBA D-League roster. The selected player will continue to undergo training up until the tryout in June 2016.

Sony SIX, the official broadcaster of the program, will create a feature around ACG-NBA Jump, following the program through its various stages and tracking the winner up until his NBA D-league tryout.

The NBA D-League is the NBA’s official minor league, serving to develop players, coaches, and front office executives. Entering its 15th season, the NBA D-League features 19 teams in the U.S. and Canada, each of which is singly-affiliated with an NBA parent club. An all-time high 38% of players on 2014-15 NBA end-of-season rosters had NBA D-League experience.